Exposing Karl Rove's Swift Boat Operation

by Rep. Chris Van Hollen

Yesterday's decision by the House Judiciary Committee to cite Karl Rove for contempt of Congress was an important step forward in holding this White House accountable to the rule of law. Unfortunately, we have not seen the last of Karl Rove and his political tricks.
We have recently learned that Rove has signed a mid-six figure consulting deal with billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson to oversee the activities of the right-wing shadow group Freedom's Watch that crafted the Swift Boat attack on then Dem. Pres. candidate, John Kerry. With the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) underfunded and in disarray this cycle, it has outsourced its work to Freedom's Watch, a shady soft money group with ties to President Bush and Senator John McCain.

If you ever wondered what the Bush political team is up to this campaign season, you need look no farther than the team behind Freedom's Watch. Rove, along with former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, former White House Political Director Tony Feather, and a slew of Bush cronies have teamed up with the third richest man in the country, Freedom's Watch's sugar daddy Sheldon Adelson - to form this unprecedented swift-boat operation. Their goal is clear -- to preserve Bush's legacy by delivering a third Bush term.